Makin' History

So my best friend was visiting from England - and he's a history teacher.

Therefore, he had no excuse to duck out of a trip to Philadelphia to take in the sights. We loaded up the Lincoln and set out to visit some of the most important locations in American history.

I'd only been to Philadelphia once before - on business - so it was nice to return on a warm, spring day.

So nice, in fact, that I fell in love with the place!

Philadelphia is wonderful.

Admittedly, we only went to the Old City - the former stomping ground of John Adams, Ben Franklin and the rest of the founding fathers - but it was such a gentle place compared to the intensity of New York.

We started our day by visiting the Liberty Bell - an American symbol of freedom and independence. This massive bell was originally forged in Whitechapel, London, and brought over to ring out from the Pennsylvania State Legislature building (what's now Independence Hall.)

Ironically, this bell cracked the first time it was rung out - and cracked twice more after being reforged by local iron workers. Following that, it was retired from duty before it literally rung itself to pieces!


The Liberty Bell is something of an odd symbol of freedom - after all, it's 'freedom' with an enormous great crack down the middle. I find that oddly symbolic - mirroring some of the 'cracks' in the notion of American freedom (like the slavery which existed even while Thomas Jefferson penned the famous line 'all men are created equal.')

Next, we booked 'tickets' for the tour of Independence Hall.


Rather annoyingly, these are 'timed' so you have a window of opportunity to see the birthplace of the American nation. Ours was during the afternoon, so during the wait we went on a Philly-institution - the 'duck' tour!

The Philly Ducks are amphibious tour-vessels that lead tourists around town and even into the Delaware River itself! We had a great time - our host (who was really called 'Betsy Ross') was hysterical.

I'm not sure how much history we learned, but it was a lot of fun and we got free duck calls that Baby Boozer went crazy for when I got home.

The 'ducks' are a great way to get the lay of the land - my friend and I spotted where we planned to go for lunch from the back of our trusty steed!


After returning to dry land, we headed back to Independence Hall (and deftly avoided the line with our timed tickets.)


Considering that this redbrick building was the birthplace of modern democracy, it's remarkably unremarkable. Originally, the building housed the Pennsylvania assembly, supreme court and governor's offices. When the Continental Congress formed, made up of representatives from all 13 colonies, the Pennsylvanians were moved upstairs and the assembly room was turned over to matters of American business.

The room's been faithfully preserved - even down to the original seat George Washington rested his derriere on. There's a wonderful, tangible sensation of history there - and it really makes you think about the modest origins of the now-legendary 'Founding Fathers.'


At this point, lunch was the order of the day - and in keeping with colonial spirit, we crossed the mall to the famous 'City Tavern.'

This is the same tavern that Jefferson, Washington and the others frequented - John Adams described it as 'the most genteel in Philadelphia.' To honor their old patrons, the City Tavern still serves colonial food in authentic costume - and you can wash it down with beer brewed from period recipes.

I chose a tasting platter to sample with my schnitzel and quaffed Washington's porter, Jefferson's ale (which was delicious) and Hamilton's pilsner. Ben Franklin's unique ale also made it onto the taste test, but lost points because of the overwhelming taste of rosemary (making the beer somewhat like drinking roast lamb.)


Finally, we strolled uptown to Christ Church, the episcopal church where Betsy Ross, George Washington and John Adams attended services. It's a beautiful old building (and, built in 1744, only three years older than the Anglican church we attend here in New Jersey.)

Although there were no services going on, we did get to sit in the same pew as Washington and Adams - which was pretty humbling. It's amazing to think that these legendary American figures walked the same tiles as we did that day...


That concluded our little day-trip to Philadelphia - but it was wonderful. A beautiful city, distinctly different from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan.

I particularly enjoyed the way the Philadelphians had embraced their history. The visitor's center, where we parked, was beautiful and extremely easy to find and get to. The tickets to the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall were free - practically unheard of in Europe (I'm still smarting from paying nearly £20 to take a friend around Westminster Abbey.)

What made it really special was the love and enthusiasm for the city. From the Park Rangers at the visitor's center to the staff at Christ Church, everybody loved talking about the place, it's history and what it meant to them. Whereas New York garners a hard-edged loyalty amongst it's residents, there's something earnest about the love people have for Philadelphia.

A wonderful day in a wonderful city - I can't wait to return!